


[Podfic] Peaches, Apples, and Other Forbidden Fruit

by jamgrl



Series: Peaches, Apples, and Other Forbidden Fruit [2]
Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: 10-year slow burn, Average Chapter length: 20-30 minutes, Aziraphale POV, Blue Ridge/Appalachia to be precise, Carolina!Crowley, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Humans AU, Ineffable Wives (Good Omens), Internalized Biphobia, Minor Character Death, Oral Sex, Pansexual!Crowley, Pining, Podfic, Podfic & Podficced Works, Podfic Length: 7-10 Hours, Southern AU, SouthernBelle!Aziraphale, an assortment of angels and demons, and references to drug addiction, bisexual!Aziraphale, companion playlist, except they are sorority girls, it’s a university au for the first half but then they graduate okay!, it’s the American South y’all, oh my god they were sorority sisters, questioning!Aziraphale, romcom vibes, university au (sort of), warnings for:, yes there will be smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:40:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 1,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22857148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jamgrl/pseuds/jamgrl
Summary: They were sorority sisters...And then they weren’t.They were roommates...And then...they weren’t.They were best friends.And then…Sometimes love is like molasses. It moves slow, it’s dark as night. It’s sticky and it’s hard to swallow.But, boy is it sweet.(Zira is a Southern girl looking for a best friend. She didn’t know she would find something even better.)
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Series: Peaches, Apples, and Other Forbidden Fruit [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1643149
Comments: 46
Kudos: 15





	1. Southern Girl

**Author's Note:**

> I want to thank [Beckers522](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beckers522/pseuds/Beckers522) and [Nadzieja](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nadzieja/pseuds/Nadzieja), my betas, for their amazing feedback on this work. They both really pushed me to make this work better and I feel really proud of how far it has come. Extra special thanks to my partner who, despite having 0 interest in Good Omens or fanfiction in general, helped me with my summary and listened to me go on and on about this fic for months. As he often likes to remind me, he is my rock and I am ever thankful for his love and support.
> 
> I grew up in Georgia and live in North Carolina, so get ready for some authentic Southern content. I am thrilled to be writing Ineffable Wives because I just need more Ineffable Wives in my life. If you have any artistic ability whatsoever, I want to see your Ineffable Wives art! Even if it’s not related to this fic! (Though, consider this a blanket permission to do any kind of work inspired by this fic, just be sure to share it with me and credit me for the inspiration!)
> 
> My first ever attempt at a podfic and it is on my 50k fic... let's go!
> 
> (There are a total of 17 chapters, and one [reflective pause](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22857148/chapters/59778610).)

****

**Length of Chapter 1:** 12 minutes, 59 seconds

[Listen to Chapter 1 on Anchor](https://anchor.fm/jamgrl/episodes/Chapter-1-Southern-Girl-eb01tg)

[Listen to Chapter 1 on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/6PEvgx7qHoQsXr4FQjh5jo)

[Download Chapter 1](https://d3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net/staging/2020-02-22/51773778-44100-2-03acbacccbda7bc5aa57d462029d1e25.m4a)

* * *

**Length of Part 1 of the full fic (Chapters 1-9):** 3 hours, 59 minutes, 33 seconds

[Listen to Chapters 1-9 on Anchor](https://anchor.fm/jamgrl/episodes/Full-Fic--Part-1-Chapters-1-9-Explicit-eb1194)

[Listen to Chapters 1-9 on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/75a9qoeThbrY7C1545LXzL?si=a7yaGHMQQRKkUfBEVTAHyw)

[Download Chapters 1-9](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/anchor-audio-bank/staging/2020-05-10/b869497344aed51d69a1a7e360a61859.m4a%20rel=)

* * *

**Length of Part 2 of the full fic (Chapters 10-17):** 4 hours, 25 minutes, 55 seconds

[Listen to Chapters 10-17 on Anchor](https://anchor.fm/jamgrl/episodes/Full-Fic--Part-2-Chapters-10-17-Explicit-edskch/a-a21kfrr)

[Listen to Chapters 10-17 on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/4oyxF6aNrJeS6RBLU6o0v7?si=-cgMnUOoSIGbVWpE0lNIxA)

[Download Chapters 10-17](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/anchor-audio-bank/staging/2020-06-16/d1dde384581beb1951ad3c31185ff9aa.m4a)

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Each chapter is named for a country song, which will be added to this [Spotify playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Bcd21Uxlvc7NtK1nXMYLZ?si=pfO9idYZSSqr3AQ4S99OLg) as each chapter is posted and which will be individually named at the end of each chapter.
> 
> This chapter’s song: Southern Girl, Tim McGraw


	2. Sorority Girl

**Length of Chapter 2:** 23 minutes, 41 seconds

[Listen to Chapter 2 on Anchor](https://anchor.fm/jamgrl/episodes/Chapter-2-Sorority-Girl-eb0pt9/a-a1k2jtv)

[Listen to Chapter 2 on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/0wh455ZV9sd1S5VaWBLsrv)

[Download Chapter 2](https://d3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net/staging/2020-2-6/55062475-44100-2-1e7dbce5f3a86.m4a)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter’s song: Sorority Girl, Luke Bryan
> 
> It’s the meet-cute!


	3. Simple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Okay, okay, confession time: I rerecorded Chapter 2 because It wasn't all one recording, and it was driving me crazy. Maybe its not that different, but I feel better. I do not know where the extra 3 minutes came from, I guess I was reading slower XD. Adventurers of a first time podficcer!)

**Length of Chapter 3:** 22 minutes, 31 seconds 

[Listen to Chapter 3 on Anchor](https://anchor.fm/jamgrl/episodes/Chapter-3-Simple-ebbd9a)

[Listen to Chapter 3 on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/3htz2tot7RxlFJoSWdvoAs)

[Download Chapter 3](https://d3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net/staging/2020-2-8/55298099-44100-2-4626462b2bd5e.m4a)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Song: Simple, by Florida Georgia Line
> 
> (I may or may not have read the entirety of Pride and Prejudice over the phone to my partner when we first started dating... we were 20 and we were at home for summer break during college, so we couldn't see each other, and instead we would have these long late night phone calls. I just decided to start reading the first chapter to him one day because I was rereading it, and then it became a thing. He actually would ask for me the next chapter when we got on the phone at night! It was the best thing ever because apparently he grew up under a rock and had no idea Darcy was the love interest, so I had a lot of fun going through that journey with him, haha.)


	4. Far From Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some chapters will have the occasional footnote, which are typically just cultural clarifications. All footnotes that would be found in the text of the written work are below the audio links.

**Length of Chapter 4:** 26 minutes, 13 seconds

[Listen to Chapter 4 on Anchor](https://anchor.fm/jamgrl/episodes/Chapter-4-Far-From-Home-ebgj47)

[Listen to Chapter 4 on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/4u0aQLlHg0LcQGu7RzqQKk)

[Download Chapter 4](https://d3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net/staging/2020-2-22/58150388-44100-2-31dfccd113122.m4a)

* * *

Footnotes:

[1] It may be of interest to non-American listeners that, while the age of legal adults in the U.S. is 18, the legal age for the consumption and purchase of alcohol is 21.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter song: Far From Home, by Aubrie Sellers
> 
> For anyone who thinks there aren't enough women in country music... well, you are right, but get ready for a flip in our playlist. It will be mostly women from here on out. It's almost like it is symbolic of Zira's shift in perceptions of herself! Or its a coincidence and I made up an explanation later.
> 
> Also, this chapter makes me want crab rangoon... ugh!


	5. Bless My Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I attempted [art](https://jammintwamp.tumblr.com/post/613310792397455360/oh-my-god-they-were-sorority-sisters-i-am)!

**Chapter Length** : 31 Minutes, 37 seconds

[Listen to Chapter 5 on Anchor](https://anchor.fm/jamgrl/episodes/Chapter-5-Bless-My-Heart-ebprce)

[Listen to Chapter 5 on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/2MSjdWImJ3YNI8Q5J7TJUn)

[Download Chapter 5](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/anchor-audio-bank/staging/2020-2-22/58177390-44100-2-acfe1d8f608c6.m4a)

* * *

Footnotes:

[1] Not playing with a full deck: [American idiom] not all there, not very smart

[2] Bless her/his/their heart: [Southern colloquialism] a polite way of expressing sympathy, (though often condescending)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Song: Bless My Heart, by Angaleena Presley
> 
> (Yes, we will get to see the party next chapter.)
> 
> The North Carolina Blue Ridge was recently ranked as the [ 31st most beautiful place in the world!](https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/north-carolina/blue-ridge-mountains-50-most-beautiful-places-in-the-world-nc/?fbclid=IwAR3pjRVVCp3x5Xpo8wGer3J3mea2eU3r5utHsq-I54CMriav7aKMUsZrZWs)
> 
> Also, if you want to get into the NC spirit or you need some music to brighten your days stuck at home, I offer you a second playlist- my personal [Carolina Playlist!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/15YvBiWLlu14rFrOOn5dIA?si=PDejs-U9SKWh9u1dVzYxlg) All the songs are related to North or South Carolina (but predominantly North).


	6. Fearless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Very modest amounts of underage alcohol consumption.

**Chapter Length** : 32 Minutes, 49 seconds

[Listen to Chapter 6 on Anchor](https://anchor.fm/jamgrl/episodes/Chapter-6-Fearless-ec3vvr/a-a1q5hiu)

[Listen to Chapter 6 on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/4n1WZkBuMofkZL1cq7d5Kl)

[Download Chapter 6](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/anchor-audio-bank/production/2020-2-29/59999262-44100-2-78d0ecef5fbcd.mp3)

* * *

Footnotes:

1\. Natty Light: a colloquial term for Natural Light beer, which is a cheap (and frankly, watery) American beer.

2\. Yuengling: an American beer that is still mass produced and cheap, but marginally more expensive than Natty Light and, although it's not, like, great, it is acceptable, in the author’s opinion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Song: Fearless, by Taylor Swift (remember when Taylor Swift used to be a country singer? Ha. This song is technically listed in both the pop and country genres, but we'll let it slide.)
> 
> What I realized in revisiting this chapter before posting:
> 
> Crowley- wing woman extraordinaire  
> Zira- massive book snob
> 
> I also realize that is sounded like Nate was mansplaining Lord of the Rings, but like, the audiobooks are actually really good, 100% recommend. Tolkien even gave his seal of approval!


	7. Playing With Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: references to masturbation and oral sex

**Chapter Length** : 33 Minutes, 05 seconds

[Listen to Chapter 7 on Anchor](https://anchor.fm/jamgrl/episodes/Chapter-7-Playing-With-Fire-ecdr9p)

[Listen to Chapter 7 on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/6PEvgx7qHoQsXr4FQjh5jo)

[Download Chapter 7](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/anchor-audio-bank/staging/2020-3-5/61945207-44100-2-16b1dac82cee1.m4a)

* * *

Footnotes:

1\. Panhellenic Council: this is the governing body for all Greek Life (fraternity and sorority) organizations at a specific university.

2\. Cosmopolitan Magazine: this is a women’s magazine with themes including sex and relationships; each issue of this magazine includes a smutty excerpt from a romance novel at the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Song: Playing With Fire, by Jennifer Nettles
> 
> So, my sorority house in college always had stacks of cosmo magazine in it, I have no idea why. BUT, I may or may not have been known to pick several up at random and dramatically read the smut for a giggling gaggle of sorority sisters, sometimes in public when we were out picnicking. Moral of the story- podfic listeners, get ready for the smutty chapters, because I both have practice and no shame.


	8. If Love Was Fair

**Length of Chapter 8:** 28 minutes, 0 seconds

[Listen to Chapter 8 on Anchor](https://anchor.fm/jamgrl/episodes/Chapter-8-If-Love-Was-Fair-ecmotf/a-a1tsb66)

[Listen to Chapter 8 on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/0U3LyLjpd3ZpAPwIwW5J7m)

[Download Chapter 8](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/anchor-audio-bank/production/2020-3-12/63892102-44100-2-e7e83748a5c2c.mp3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Song: If Love Was Fair, by Ashley Monroe
> 
> (If you are following the playlist, get ready for a lot of Ashley Monroe, bc I love her.)


	9. I Feel a Sin Comin' On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big shout out to @miss-minnelli, who did a read through of this chapter for me and gave me much needed re-assurance and encouragement. Thank you!!!  
> CW: Smut. ( _But Jam??? Already???_ Yes. Here we go!)

**Length of Chapter 9:** 28 minutes, 33 seconds

[Listen to Chapter 9 on Anchor](https://anchor.fm/jamgrl/episodes/Chapter-9-I-Feel-a-Sin-Comin-On-Explicit-ed00c0)

[Listen to Chapter 9 on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/4XdFDzH0E3OVEQBptyuThy)

[Download Chapter 9](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/anchor-audio-bank/staging/2020-3-19/65834773-44100-2-0d3077af3f2fa.m4a)

* * *

Footnotes:

1\. Plumb: [Southern Colloquialism] Completely or entirely

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Song: I Feel a Sin Comin' On, Pistol Annies
> 
> I'm not saying that one scene in _The Duchess_ awakened something in me, _buuuut...._


	10. Wild Love

**Length of Chapter 10:** 32 minutes, 8 seconds

[Listen to Chapter 10 on Anchor](https://anchor.fm/jamgrl/episodes/Chater-10-Wild-Love-ed9fg8/a-a21kfrr)

[Listen to Chapter 10 on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/6AOKltoy4Q2aVsi1Cn2HDX)

[Download Chapter 10](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/anchor-audio-bank/staging/2020-3-26/67829051-44100-2-8ea81f771160d.m4a)

* * *

Footnotes:

1\. Biltmore Village: the wealthy part of town, near the Historic Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC

2\. Muscadine wine: a sweet wine popular in the Southeastern United States, made from muscadine grapes, which are native to the region

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have anything against hipsters or hostels. I do have something against Che Guevara.
> 
> (But actually, I've never been inside Sweet Peas Hostel, I'm sure it is very nice!)
> 
> Chapter Song: Wild Love, by Ashley Monroe


	11. Friend's Don't

**Length of Chapter 11:** 29 minutes, 52 seconds

[Listen to Chapter 11 on Anchor](https://anchor.fm/jamgrl/episodes/Chapter-11-Friends-Dont-edig8u)

[Listen to Chapter 11 on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/6QsoE3KelaLu2MM3SEq6pJ)

[Download Chapter 11](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/anchor-audio-bank/staging/2020-4-3/69814439-44100-2-e883a7f6758db.m4a)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Song: Friends Don't by Maddie & Tae
> 
> The French Broad Chocolate Lounge is where it's _at_ (except when my partner, let's call him Jam Man, inexplicably wants to share a coconut macaroon with me, who likes those???). My birthday is Wednesday and Jam Man and I are going to stream the new adaptation of _Emma_ , which I love, if this fic didn't make that obvious. Will report back.


	12. I'm Good at Leavin'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The new adaptation of Emma was amazing, thank you for asking!!
> 
> Apologies for updating a few hours later than usual (after that cliff hanger, too!!)- I would blame it on the fact that my Zoom Commencement was today, but I slept through it... so, I don't really have an excuse! (It's okay, there is going to be a real graduation eventually, and I didn't miss my program area zoom thing, which was yesterday.)
> 
> CW: smut (oh, come on, y’all knew exactly where this was going.)

**Length of Chapter 12:** 34 minutes, 41 seconds

[Listen to Chapter 12 on Anchor](https://anchor.fm/jamgrl/episodes/Chapter-12-Im-Good-at-Leavin-Explicit-edsk3a)

[Listen to Chapter 12 on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/7feHjvi7FQC02YkBEVAu3u?si=7gpjpZTCSb2ao2teph5_KQ)

[Download Chapter 12](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/anchor-audio-bank/production/2020-4-10/71978401-44100-2-003f777fbcadd.mp3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, I know!!! Please forgive me! Would some fluff soothe your souls? If so, I first want to recommend this lovely university wives ficlet featuring painter Crowley written by my friend @miss-minnelli, which I am in love with and which you should all read: [Still Your Heart Was True](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23989666). I also have a little fluffy wives ficlet featuring painting and Auntie Crowley, which you could also check out: [Oil Paint Stains](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23989363).
> 
> This chapter's song: I'm Good at Leavin', by Ashley Monroe


	13. Stupid Girl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: references to parental drug abuse and unstable home life

**Length of Chapter 13:** 25 minutes, 52 seconds

[Listen to Chapter 13 on Anchor](https://anchor.fm/jamgrl/episodes/Chapter-13-Stupid-Girl-ee67vm)

[Listen to Chapters 13 on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/4pDVikRAqXVo84NtnWzgDY)

[Download Chapter 13](https://d3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net/staging/2020-4-17/74057132-44100-2-ba4f0b4993216.m4a)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Song: Stupid Girl by Jennifer Nettles
> 
> Bear with me, y’all, Zira still has some work to do.
> 
> Tangential story: My lovely partner who I love, and who we shall call Jam Man, has been helping me work through the emotional beats of this section of the work, and I just have to share one of the funny things he said to me:
> 
> He reads through this chapter for me, and, after he gives me his helpful comments, he says, “You really just put yourself in Zira, huh?” and I am a little offended, readers, so I say “What do you mean?” He says, “This whole thing about being terrified of driving and taking the Greyhound bus? You are just writing about your experiences!” He pauses, then, to laugh at me. “I mean, the thing about the WiFi?” And then he laughs at me some more.
> 
> For context, I am a notoriously nervous (and some might say bad) driver (did I win a “worst driver” superlative in my high school drama club? No comment.), and last time I visited my family without Jam Man, I took a Greyhound bus because I didn’t want to drive alone (because he is always the only one who drives when we drive any significant distance, partly because I hate to, and partly because he doesn’t trust my driving) and, yeah, okay, maybe I am still bitter about the WiFi situation on the bus.
> 
> Okay, okay, okay. Also, before he started helping me with this section, he hadn’t read the fic, so I was explaining what was going on, and he was like “I know what’s going on. Crowley called Zira a snack and then Zira was like (he says in a high pitched southern accent and with a hand on his hip) ‘I _have_ to eat the _low calorie_ chips ahoy so my momma doesn’t say anything about my figure!’” And of course, I’m laughing by now, so he says “See! I listen to you recording!” Anyways, I’ve had too much fun with bringing him into my writing this week.


	14. Don't You Wanna Stay

**Length of Chapter 14:** 29 minutes, 44 seconds

[Listen to Chapter 14 on Anchor](https://anchor.fm/jamgrl/episodes/Chapter-14-Dont-You-Wanna-Stay-eegd4c)

[Listen to Chapter 14 on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/7sZOmXSQKOkUNiLBkiy9IB)

[Download Chapter 14](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/anchor-audio-bank/production/2020-4-24/76201611-44100-2-26c926a304d4e.mp3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter song: Don’t You Wanna Stay, by Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson
> 
> The article Crowley is talking about is real, but of course, I can’t find it.
> 
> If you haven’t seen the new Greta Gerwig adaptation of Little Women, let me just say that it is 👌👌🔥🔥 and features a nicely queer coded Jo 🙌. This chapter takes place in 2018, so that adaptation did not exist at the time of their convo 😭. I did grow up on the Wynona Ryder adaptation, though 💯.
> 
> Only slightly tangentially related story from my life:
> 
> Did I ever tell y’all about my former best friend and the hand holding thing? I had a friend who I went to high school and college with that I was really close to and that I did this platonic hand holding thing with. I’m pretty sure it was platonic, anyways, I’m like 98% sure she is straight. Anyways, I was, ah, not to terms with my bisexuality yet, and when we would be out in public holding hands, I would secretly hope people would mistake us for a couple, which I probably should have taken as a sign. This is not even to mention the time I slept over in her dorm room and we spooned. That was the same night I had a conversation with her about how “sexuality is a spectrum” and she was like “have you ever been attracted to a woman?” and I was like “oh yeah, definitely.” And she said “huh.” So I said “have you?” And she just sort of tilted her head and said “no,” like it was the most curious thing. I say I’m 98% sure she is straight because _maybe_ she was doing a Zira on me, because, like, why was she so okay with so much physical intimacy with me??? But I don’t think so. Regardless, she lives in Japan now with no intention of returning to the states and I have a very lovely partner who reads my fanfiction and gives me advice despite confessing to me that it is “physically painful” for him to read it because it is just “so sappy and romantic” 😅. I love him very dearly. (If you are wondering, I was the big spoon with my friend, which actually made sense, because she was smaller than me, and I remain the big spoon with Jam Man, which makes less sense, because he is much larger than me, but he really likes being spooned. Big spoon rights!)


	15. Surrender

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story exists in an alternate timeline where Covid19 never happened, because I just don’t want to deal with it, okay?
> 
> I still haven’t found Crowley’s article, but here are articles on each one of our novelists in order of least convincingly queer to most convincingly queer.
> 
> [Charlotte Brontë](https://www.out.com/art-books/2015/6/16/was-charlotte-bronte-gay)  
> [Jane Austen](https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/07/queering-the-work-of-jane-austen-is-nothing-new/533418/)  
> [Louisa May Alcott](https://www.them.us/story/little-women-greta-gerwig-jo-march-queer)
> 
> CW: Family member death; a tiny bit of dark humor/references to the (recent) history of transphobic policy in North Carolina

**Length of Chapter 15:** 38 minutes, 38 seconds

[Listen to Chapter 15 on Anchor](https://anchor.fm/jamgrl/episodes/Chapter-15-Surrender-eeqj82/a-a2bkop9)

[Listen to Chapter 15 on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/3xVqa7ipoEUWmuAuZ6Vt5c)

[Download Chapter 15](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/anchor-audio-bank/staging/2020-4-31/78323945-44100-2-f7d2084405d4c.m4a)

Footnotes:

1.Bachelorette, as in Bachelorette Party [American]: this is the party that brides-to-be have with (primarily) women friends prior to getting married; I think in Britain this is called a Hen Party?

2\. In 2016, the infamous “Bathroom Bill” (HB2) was passed in North Carolina, restricting the rights of trans people to use the bathroom matching their gender identities.

3\. In 2017, shortly after his election, current Democratic governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper, passed a compromise bill with the Republican legislature partially repealing HB2, effectively stopping the “bathroom ban” but maintaining the power of the state to regulate bathroom usage and prohibiting city level anti-descrimination protections until the end of 2020.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Song: Surrender, by Angaleena Presley
> 
> If you want to learn more about the status of the “Bathroom Bill” in North Carolina, check out the second page of [this newsletter](https://sites.nicholas.duke.edu/dice/files/2019/11/September-2019-Pride-in-North-Carolina.pdf) ! It’s surprisingly difficult to find a comprehensive and concise article about this, but yours truly wrote the HB2 update on this newsletter last year after some extensive research. It is from September, but as far as I know, there hasn’t been much more movement. (This is from a newsletter series by a grad student club I was a part of.)
> 
> Please know that although intolerance is real in the South, vibrant communities of love, acceptance, and activism are real in the South, too, and we are not done fighting. (Page 1 of the above newsletter has a short history of the Pride movement in North Carolina, written by my friend.)


	16. Rumor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The audio quality on this chapter is... rough. I don't have time to re-record right now, so I'm posting anyways, but if you want to wait, I'll have a new version up by next Sunday's update.
> 
> CW: mild homophobia

**Length of Chapter 16:** 30 minutes, 12 seconds

[Listen to Chapter 16 on Anchor](https://anchor.fm/jamgrl/episodes/Chapter-16-Rumor-ef3sfr)

[Listen to Chapter 16 on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/4RHj5Ku6p1qnzCSQSBnOWX?si=kzTVICywROGV8PEHgwhy1A)

[Download Chapter 16](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/anchor-audio-bank/production/2020-5-7/80229260-44100-2-c140cc67ad9cd.mp3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, apologies for the poor audio quality... but stick with me! Next Sunday, you'll get an improved recording for Chapter 16 AND you'll get Chapter 17, which I PROMISE you won't want to miss... it's going to be a _treat._
> 
> Chapter song: Rumor, by Lee Brice


	17. LATE CHAPTER UPDATE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers. It is time for the last chapter, and I am missing my posting date for the first time! I _should_ be able to get the chapter up tomorrow, Tuesday at the _latest_. I am so excited to share this one with y'all, I hope you will think it is worth the wait! For now, have my very sketchy drawing of Zira and Crowley standing in solidarity with Black lives.
> 
> Here's the thing: the majority of Black Americans live in the South today, and it is on the backs of Black Americans in the South that this country was built. 
> 
> Black lives are deeply woven into the fabric of the South: in its deeply racist history and present, in its rich cultural identity that can be found in its food and music. I am writing a story about two Southern white girls, so let me be clear: Black lives are so important in the South, and white supremacist ideals so insidious, that Southerners _cannot_ be neutral.

Zira and Crowley say Black Lives Matter! This Georgia Peach and Carolina Girl stand in solidarity with black lives.

[Black Lives Matter](http://blacklivesmatter.com)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATE: an amazingly talented podfic listener made this [ new and improved version](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24820852), and I am blown away!


	18. Grow Old with Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Excellent news this morning!! The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Civil Rights Act's workplace discrimination protections apply to sexual orientation and gender identity. This is a huge win for Queer Rights!!! [_New York Times_](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/15/us/gay-transgender-workers-supreme-court.html)

**Length of Chapter 17:** 43 minutes, 38 seconds

[Listen to Chapter 17 on Anchor](https://anchor.fm/jamgrl/episodes/Chapter-17-Grow-Old-with-Me-effnm4/a-a2fnjcd)

[Listen to Chapter 17 on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/2mDGg0r03B9Y4oiVhSFUfS)

[Download Chapter 17](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/anchor-audio-bank/production/2020-5-16/82611021-44100-2-47526a18396d4.mp3)

* * *

Footnotes:

[1.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22856812/chapters/59827273#_ftnref1) AP: Advanced Placement. This is a program where you take a “college level” course in high school and take a standardized national test at the end of the year, and colleges will accept certain scores for college credits or exemptions.

[2.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22856812/chapters/59827273#_ftnref2) Pendejo: [Spanish] A derogatory term meaning idiot

[3.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22856812/chapters/59827273#_ftnref3) Lexington Barbecue: A style of barbecue popular in the Western and Piedmont regions of North Carolina using a tomato and vinegar sauce. There is a barbecue rivalry in North Carolina between this type and the Eastern style.

[4.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22856812/chapters/59827273#_ftnref4) Pitmaster: someone who is very skilled at pit barbecue (a method of smoking meat in a literal pit in the ground, often taking an entire day)

[5.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22856812/chapters/59827273#_ftnref5) Eastern Carolina Barbecue: A style of barbecue popular in the Eastern region of North Carolina famous for full hog roasting and a vinegar only sauce. North Carolinians claim to be the originators of barbecue, telling a story about the tradition coming from an indigenous method of cooking a full deer on a spit. The author can neither confirm nor deny this claim.

[6.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22856812/chapters/59827273#_ftnref6) Yankee: Within the U.S., Yankee typically refers to people from New England, though it could refer to Northerners in general

[7.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22856812/chapters/59827273#_ftnref7) The Biltmore [Estate]: the largest estate in the U.S., owned by the Vanderbilts and located in Asheville. This is a major tourist attraction and the grounds are extensive, including a huge vineyard and horseback riding trails.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Song: Grow Old With Me, by Sunny Sweeney  
> Bonus Song: North Cack, by G Yamazawa because I enjoy imagining Crowley white girl dancing to this song. (North Cack is short for “North Cacklalack” or “North Cackalacky”, which is slang for North Carolina.)
> 
> Who would bring a Confederate flag to a wedding? You might be wondering. Who, indeed, my friends. _Who, indeed._ If you are one of the people wondering this, I might take a gander and say you are not from the American South.
> 
> (To be clear, I (and Crowley) do not approve of Confederate flags ever anywhere, unless it is a museum display specifically condemning the horrors of white supremacy. #BlackLivesMatter.) 
> 
> This was the last chapter! Thank you all so much for joining me on this journey! It has been such a pleasure to share this story with y’all, and to have fun with this region that I love. 
> 
> Good news! Because I can’t let go, I am working on a Crowley POV one shot to go with this fic, so if you enjoyed this last chapter, be sure to keep your eyes open and/or subscribe to this series! Also, the first section of this chapter is associated with Chapters 3 & 4, if you want to revisit them, now that you know Crowley’s side of the story 😅.

**Author's Note:**

> [The Spotify Playlist!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Bcd21Uxlvc7NtK1nXMYLZ?si=pfO9idYZSSqr3AQ4S99OLg)  
> If you like the setting of this fic, on June 23rd, I will be publishing the first chapter of my next fic, which also takes place in the NC mountains, because I have no shame. That one is a summer camp au for the [GO-Events](https://go-events.tumblr.com/) AU Fest, which I am very excited about, and which I promise, will be very different! Get a little preview [here](https://jamgrlsblog.tumblr.com/post/618869330113888256/i-am-so-excited-to-be-participating-in-the).
> 
> I am always happy to chat on tumblr ([jamgrlsblog](https://jamgrlsblog.tumblr.com/))


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